Steve Blackman and Raven on Byte This

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By IGN Staff

By Chris SabgaEditor, IGN WrestlingOn this week's edition of Byte This, both Steve Blackman and Raven were guests on the show.Byte This will be moving to Fridays at 4-5pm EST. Coach will no longer be a part of the show because of ¿scheduling conflicts.¿Steve BlackmanHardcore wrestling ¿I tried to take it to a new level after so many years of using so many different weapons...This is my forte...Hopefully I've made the best of it.¿His past ¿I had wrestled around the world for about 3 and ¿ years. I had just finished up in Calgary. I was going to go to the WWF in 1989...I had promised a promoter in South Africa (that I would wrestle)...To make a long story real short, (I got sick)...I spent four years polishing my skills and I eventually came back (to the WWF).¿Weight¿From like ¿84 to the time I got sick...I was usually around 270-280, so it¿s easier to maintain my weight now (245).¿Facing Shane McMahon at Summerslam 2000¿That was one of the highlights...They all wanted to see Shane got a beating...I know no one expected anything like that.¿The WWF's toughest guy?¿The majority of the guys are large...tough guys...I really can¿t narrow it down to one person.¿Hardcore Holly and Raven¿I give Bob a lot of credit. He trains hard in the gym, stays in great shape...When he swings something in those Hardcore matches, you know it...Raven...he can take as much as he dishes out.¿Background¿I had always been athletic and into martial arts/wrestling my entire life...I decided not to pursue baseball/football...I kinda got tired of all that...I was always obsessed with the martial arts and weapons...One thing led to another...I wanted to get into the martial arts movies...(but) I like where I'm going now.¿Shoot fighting¿In the last few years when I decided to come to the WWF, I hadn¿t really thought about it...10 years ago I definitely would¿ve done...I don't really have any desire to do it...I like what I'm doing now. Shamrock, I guess, wanted a few more fights under his belt before he called it quits.¿Real life vs. his TV character¿I wouldn't say I'm quite as stone faced as I am out there, but I¿ve tried to shed that, change my ways, show my more charismatic side...Well, I have to admit, the vignettes, the things they had us do were pretty funny...One night we seemed to work well, the next night we didn¿t click too well...Maybe if we were given more time?¿Before the WWF¿A couple of years before I got back into wrestling...I had a school for submission fighting and I also taught wrestling.¿Approach to matches¿I look at all of the weapons I have at my disposal, try to visualize the routines...I¿ll try to think of new strikes or new ways to incorporate whatever weapons I have at my disposal.¿More on toughest guys¿Again you guys are putting me on the spot here [laughs]...There are a substantial amount of guys there that aren¿t going to back down from guys no matter what...There are at least 10 guys in there that can hold their own pretty well against most people.¿The future¿I feel like doing the Hardcore matches for 7 months had allowed me to be a lot more charismatic out there...I¿d like to perform with top people...I want to be back in some regular matches and prove myself again...I¿ve been doing the weapons for so long. I want to go out there and prove that I can do my thing without having the weapons at my disposal.¿Is Blackman ¿going to show those ECW guys what hardcore is really all about?¿¿Absolutely.¿Injuries¿You never really have time...You basically have to be bedridden to take time off...There¿s guys always injured...They have to suck it up... It's a group of tough guys...Everyone sucks it up and does what they have to do...When the guys are injured...It is harder when you first come back...You¿re better off just fighting through it and staying on the road.¿Another tag team?¿I don't know. I'm comfortable in singles...I¿ve primarily done singles my entire career...I¿ve considered tagging with Hardcore Holly...We¿ll see what the future holds.¿If he wasn't in wrestling¿A wrestling school...(or) I probably would¿ve gotten into boxing.¿His pre-WWF look¿I was about 40 pounds heavier and had shoulder length hair...I had that for years and cut it off shortly before I got back into wrestling.¿RavenRaven's first WWF tenure¿Now I finally came back to the WWF...When I left the first time, I only wanted to be gone six months to a year.¿Paul Heyman and ECW¿Financially, I'm not sure that¿s their strong suit...If there's a way for him to financially...stay in the game, he¿s the only guy who can do it...Frankly, I think he¿s better off coming here...I would like to work with him again.¿Booking¿No...It made me more well-rounded, I have a greater respect for what they do...8-16 hours... It's ridiculous...You wouldn't believe what it takes to edit a show.¿Steve Blackman¿He¿s the Lethal Weapon. He¿s just great.¿Tazz¿Tazz is a strictly a commentator...He wrestles occasionally...If he¿s commentating, it¿s kind of hard to make him a full-time wrestler.¿Jerry Lynn¿Jerry Lynn has been so overdue for a major push...Now I think he¿s underrated...When I first met him, I thought he was overrated ¿ 10 years ago.¿Changing¿The main thing is that I changed...I was loud, obnoxious, abrasive, an asshole...Now I'm charming, sweet, cuddly...I see things from a different perspective...Also, I don't have the emotional baggage.¿His favorite federation to be in?¿Absolutely here...That sounds like shilling...but it isn¿t...I was out there with main event guys (on Raw)...It felt so right...Baby steps...One step in a time...For years, I was in a rush.¿Injuries ¿Shoulder...rotator cuff...All the stuff I had was fixable...There was nothing that was permanently damaging...I¿d be hard pressed to say that anything was that traumatic.¿Strengths and weaknesses¿I¿ve never been the biggest guy...most popular guy...but I¿ve made up for it in business acumen...charisma.¿